


Case 36: The Adventure Of The Potent Potentate (1883)

by Cerdic519



Series: Elementary 221B [47]
Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Asia, Bisexual Character, Denial of Feelings, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, Hawaii, Infidelity, Jealousy, Jewelry, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Politics, Prostitution, Sex, Untold Cases of Sherlock Holmes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 13:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16517756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerdic519/pseuds/Cerdic519
Summary: ֍ Watson finds himself having to deal with a man in a grass skirt and a certain consulting detective is absolutely not the least bit jealous of that fact. Absolutely not. No way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [majesticduxk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/majesticduxk/gifts).



_[Narration by Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Esquire]_

It might be thought by the people who read of my adventures that someone in my position has an excellent grasp of human nature. However the one thing that I never fully understood – until it was almost too late, some might justifiably say – is that thing called love. Mankind knows of course that he is destined never to understand the fairer sex; there is much truth in the old saw that God promised He would place biddable women in the four corners of the Earth and then proceeded to make the planet round (as they say, always read the terms and conditions), but I find even my fellow men difficult to understand. 

What makes understanding such things even more difficult is the way people see myself and Watson. My friend is a fine figure of a man – my half-brother Campbell on more than one occasion mourned him as a loss to his profession and I always recall a minor case in a department store when one of the managers asked if he would consider modelling their undergarments which made him blush very pret..... a lot – yet for some reason when we were on our cases women would always turn their attentions on me. I did not understand it at all and I know that it vexed Watson more than he admitted. And he had not taken at all well to the affable Mr. Lowen Trevelyan, the fisherman that we had met on the Scilly Isles in the Adventure of the Repellent Philanthropist – which as things turned out was to prove a tad unfortunate.

֍

It is often assumed, both by those ignorant of the facts and by those not ignorant but who wish to denigrate our Nation, that the British Empire was some sort of mighty steamroller which spread itself effortlessly over the world except for that very slight hiccough over the Thirteen Colonies and King George III managing to turn a regional drama into an international crisis. But towards the end of the century British thoughts were turning to the future especially with the rising powers of Italy and Prussian Germany on the block, and it was less the white man's burden and more do we actually _need_ to be in that far-flung place? 

Naturally it was the theatre furthest away from our islands, the wide and almost empty Pacific Ocean, in which that question was most asked. Very little British trade passed across the largest ocean in the world, and with the small island groups each possessed of their own fierce native tribes a different solution to securing British influence was needed. It was initially found in a policy of mutual treaties in which London recognized the various tiny kingdoms as nation states and effectively established protectorates over them in all but name. 

Unfortunately other more land-hungry Continental Powers took a different approach and it was events therein that contributed to this case. The Kingdom of Tahiti, a smattering of islands which together were about the size of the county of Essex, had become a French protectorate as long ago as 1842 but three years before this story is set that had changed with their full annexation. This had aroused tensions in the recent Anglo-French _entente_ , which had threatened to widen when Paris started making overtures to the tribes on two other island groups nearby, the Cook Islands to the west and Strafford Island to the north. This latter lay in the direction of the Kingdom of Hawaii over which the United States was becoming increasingly assertive, and the Germans also were not far away in Samoa, so now there were four Great Powers interested in a solitary island some four miles across at its widest point but possessed of a large natural harbour which was a great prize. That and copious supplies of fresh water meant that its rulers were powerful men indeed for an island no wider than the distance between Regent's Park and the Tower.

Incidentally (and because Watson said that this sort of thing is what readers find interesting) the name of the island came not from the most famous Earl of Strafford, Thomas Wentworth the ill-starred adviser to King Charles I who preceded his master to the block, but from one John Byng who had been created Earl of Strafford in 1847, nephew of his much more famous namesake who had been most shamefully shot on board his own ship in 1757 after failing to relieve Minorca during the Seven Years' War. The new earl's ancestry fed back into the original Wentworths but not to the doomed Earl Thomas, and he had funded the exploration mission which had been the islanders' first contact with civilization.

֍

I had little interest in politics but in this case not only did that world come to me it also brought a rare (though not rare enough) involvement with my unpleasant eldest brother Mycroft. A man – I will not say gentleman for he was none - who had always made his disapproval of me quite clear, I had no contact with him although I was as I have said aware that he was monitoring me and quite probably several of our siblings in the hope of obtaining information that might disinherit those whom he thought unworthy of inheriting our father's money (i.e. everyone except him). I knew that he had obtained proof a short while back of our brother Luke using a molly-house but unfortunately for him when he had informed our mother she had merely decided to use it as inspiration for another of her dreadful stories. And had then made Mycroft listen while she read it! Karma could be a.... not-nice female personage at times!

Watson was working a day at his surgery one day in early December when Luke called at Cramer Street. We had had several dealings of late after my assisting Mr. Anthony 'Tiny' Little who was his lover; my brother's job was such that he needed the security of having only one gentleman to whom he could turn for his sexual needs. And from the slowness with which he sat down he has had Tiny's attentions quite recently.

“This is a major case”, he said, “and Bacchus will be mightily annoyed that he was not allocated to it.”

“Why is that?” I asked. Our lounge-lizard of a brother had not been around much these past few weeks, and any drinks of extra barley-sugars I may have had had been entirely coincidental. Luke smiled wolfishly.

“Unfortunately one of his latest conquests turned out to be the daughter of a Cabinet minister”, he grinned. “Gladstone was _not_ happy I can tell you, and our unlovely brother has been dispatched to a government naval base in Morayshire up in the North of Scotland for a few months to cool his ardour. I may just have telegraphed him about missing out on all the fun.”

“I very much doubt that anything in the world of politics is ever 'fun'”, I said.

“It concerns the situation in the Pacific Ocean”, he explained. “The French and Americans have both been trying to cosy up to King Kaha'i of Strafford Island. And said monarch has now sent his eldest son to London for talks.”

I looked shrewdly at my brother. He nodded.

“That was another reason why I was chosen”, he admitted. “The boy Tane is said to 'swing both ways' to use the horrible modern term and is ostensibly just here on a goodwill visit. It is our intent however that he leaves not just a happy prince but with a full treaty that will guarantee his nation's independence and force all our enemies – and supposed friends for that matter - to back off his island.”

“So what is the problem?” I asked.

“The problem is I have somehow gone and lost him!” he groaned. “He was meant to disembark when the ship arrived in London and we had everything arranged. Instead he for some reason got off at Plymouth where we presume – hope – that he took a train here.”

“Has he been to England before?” I asked. “I would not expect a Pacific Islander to know his way around very well.”

“He has not but his cousin Akoni has”, Luke said, “and they have all had a full education given the remoteness of the place. I called in on Campbell on the way here but he was out, so I had to leave a message.”

“You could as easily have asked Tiny to do that”, I smiled. He grinned.

“When he left me this morning I was beyond talking!”

I just shook my head at him.

֍

As well as his own business my half-brother had strong links to several of his female-supplying equivalent establishments (or as my brother Mycroft called them, Houses Of Sin And Ill-Repute), so I had some hopes that he would come through for us. Sure enough he did not disappoint. He came round himself that same evening rather than risk using a telegraph or letter, which I appreciated given the seriousness of the situation.

“Watson not back yet?” he asked as he sat down (almost as carefully as Luke had, I noted).

“He had a late client all the way out in Ruislip”, I said. “Presumably someone important, and hopefully someone who actually pays.”

He smiled knowingly at me.

“Shut up!” I grumbled.

“At least his terrible cousin has gone back to whichever hole she came out of”, he grinned. “And it was good to see that you were not the least bit jealous of her attentions all that time.”

“I was too busy hiding from the harridan myself”, I deflected. “Did you find out anything?”

He allowed himself another smirk before answering. No wonder they say that friends are the Good Lord's apology for relations!

“You were right about him swinging both ways”, he said. “He has been putting it about for some three days in a number of places, with men and women. None of my boys, unfortunately.”

“Why unfortunately?” I asked.

“Apparently he likes to wear a grass skirt”, Campbell grinned, “and reports are that he is very well endowed.”

“Alan will not like you looking at another man”, I pointed out.

“It only serves to make him jealous”, he grinned, “and we all know how jealousy affects some men, do we not?”

I glared at him. Watson and I..... well no. Just no!

“I have not met the fellow myself”, said a half-brother whom I no longer liked one little bit, “but he must be a charming fellow.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Our sort of business hardly ever allows outsiders to just roll up and start accepting clients”, Campbell explained. “We never do. But somehow he even charmed old Abanazer Cogges over Stepney way, the fellow we all know as Scrooge for obvious reasons. That had to take some doing. The one piece of good news that I can bring you – and your brother - is that you should have him back tomorrow.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“He told Abanazer that his good times were coming to an end as the ship he was due in then”, he said. “I suppose he will make his way to the docks and be there to meet his – what do you call them? - handlers?”

I nodded.

“Luke will be relieved”, I said. “He was thinking that the whole visit might be a disaster.”

֍

The following day Luke came round again – limping I noted, so obviously Tiny had been busy - this time with his Pacific Potentate in tow. Mr. Tane Strafford was, I have to admit, one of the most handsome men that I had ever seen, his tanned skin and hawk-like face setting off a muscular body. He was about twenty years of age, dark-haired, of average height and wearing what was very obviously a bespoke suit. He was suffering from a slight cough and my brother wished for Watson to examine him and give him the all-clear. Luke and I went out for a walk to give our visitor some privacy, and I was not the least bit anxious about leaving my friend with a sex-mad Adonis.

I was also beginning to understand what Watson meant about the ability of some people to do what he called 'a not-smirk'. Luke looked far too pleased with himself (although he said that that was partly because Tiny had promised him another session later), and we arrived back to find the two men chatting affably and Mr. Strafford sitting far too close to my friend. Had he not heard of personal space? It was annoying but at least he was only here for a brief visit.

֍


	2. Chapter 2

I had as it turned out underestimated just how capable the Universe was of messing up my well-ordered life. The next morning Watson received a telegram.

“It is from your brother Luke”, he said clearly surprised. “Apparently Mr. Strafford wishes me to show him around London for his time here and it has been arranged for me to have paid time off from the surgery. That is very kind of him.”

I made a mental note to do something very bad to Luke at some point in the immediate future. I knew more than most people how to get away with murder. Or I could always arrange for Mother to have him round for one of her readings.

“I suppose that one must make sacrifices for the Nation”, I said. “And perhaps it might be better than having to deal with some of your patients. At least you will be definitely getting paid this time.”

(I had had to covertly intervene in Watson's life again recently as he had suffered a run of patients for whom paying the doctor's bill was a thing unknown. Fortunately my various contacts had been able to 'persuade' them that the time for payment was now, unless they wanted both lawyers and publicity in their lives!). 

“That is true”, he conceded. “I had better get ready for my new role.”

֍

That evening Watson staggered back into our rooms and all but fell onto the settee. I looked at him in surprise.

“I cannot do this!” he groaned. “Lord but the fellow is _insatiable!_ If it is human and adult he will want to make love with it, and he can charm just about everyone. We visited Lord Frensham and he asked me to give his daughter a check-up while I was there – she is expecting – so he promptly disappeared off with two of his footmen!”

I was I admit perhaps ever so slightly relieved that the Islander's charms had not been directed in at least one direction, and that my friend's exhaustion was from just trying to keep the fellow reined in. 

“There is pie for dessert this evening”, I said. He looked at me in surprise.

“It is not Mrs. Hellingly's baking day”, he said. “That was two days ago when Henriksen came round.”

It really was unfair the way he made fun of our policeman friend just because he had not missed any of our landlady's last five baking days.... make that six. Wait, it was seven. No, eight.

I supposed that he had a point.

“I purchased one on my way home”, I said. “Not as good as the ones made by our landlady but it will serve. I thought that from what Luke had said about the prince, you might find his behaviour a trifle tiring.”

“And his Pacific Ocean might be a trifle damp”, he sighed. “Thank you, friend.”

֍

The first week of the royal visit passed, and Watson looked more and more exhausted at the end of each day. The one small upside, he told me, was that Prince Tane was a strictly moral fellow in at least one aspect in that he refused to 'engage' with anyone who was married or even engaged. Although even that came with a caveat that was as matters transpired to be rather important; if he saw a husband or wife treating the other poorly then he would set his sights on 'helping' the victim. _Horizontally_ helping the victim. I did wonder slightly at his not targeting someone both unattached and attractive as Watson, but I was just grateful that he directed his attentions elsewhere.

There was a small reception at the current Earl of Strafford's house to honour the visit of an islander from where his cousin had brought the outside world to that part of Polynesia. Earl George was then in his late seventies and unfortunately ill, but his son and heir of the same name was hosting the event.

I did not frown when the Islander had turned up at our house to collect John and was wearing a grass skirt.

“I thought that such clothing was usually found only on the Hawaiian Islands”, I said not at all frostily. 

He gave me a look that said he could see through me far too well. I decided that the sooner he was out of the country, the better.

“”We do indeed wear cloth skirts on our own island”, he said, “but this is what people expect. And I always try to give people what they want.”

I did not glare at him, and wished them both a pleasant evening, despite the way someone left far too close to my.... to Watson. Not that I was at all jealous of course.

֍

Watson came back late and I was not waiting up anxiously for him when he did finally come through the door. I was however worried; he looked dreadful.

“Has something happened?” I asked.

He poured himself a large whisky and downed it in one go. Then he poured himself another.

“What an evening!” he groaned. “First one of the maids, then a footman, and just when I did not think it could get any worse he found another married woman. They disappeared for nearly an hour before I could find them; Lord alone knows how he has the energy.”

At least he was not using that energy on someone, a certain part of my brain put in unhelpfully. I told it to shut up.

“Which lady was the beneficiary of his attentions?” I asked.

He looked strangely awkward. 

“A Mrs. Rachael Holmes”, he said at last.

Oh Lord!

“Please tell me that Mycroft did not notice!” I said.

“It was when the gentlemen adjourned to the smoking-room”, he said to my immense relief, “and as the prince does not smoke he and I went outside. He somehow eluded me and must have then had his assignation with your sister-in-law. I hardly like to say it but I do not think that I have ever seen any lady look that smug.”

I could perhaps understand that. Mycroft was all but openly unfaithful to poor Rachael despite their having had five daughters, and I frankly wondered why she put up with him (indeed I quite expected to have his unexpected murder as a case one day which would have been terrible as I would never have been able to find the female culprit to whom I may or may not have been related). This was a most delicious revenge on her part, even if there might be a bit of explaining to do nine months down the line.

֍

The second week of the royal visit passed and Watson proceeded to lose his charge on only a further fourteen occasions (that he was aware of; he admitted there were likely more). Seriously, what did they feed these islanders that they had so much stamina? The prince even found his way to one of my half-brother's molly-houses at one point, where Campbell told me he most definitely left an impression; not on him of course or it would have been Alan who would have ended up being tried for murder.

A particularly vexatious thing, at least in my opinion, was that for some reason everyone seemed to like the fellow. Balin and Balan came round to Cramer Street (the former had a bruise that was proving slow to heal) and were fulsome in their praise for the islander. Apparently lust, like love, can be blind.

On the day of the prince's departure I was feeling more than a little relieved especially as Watson had finished his duties and was having a day spent mostly sleeping before he returned to being a city doctor. I dare say he was almost missing his patients after his ordeal! 

Unfortunately my own ordeal was not yet over for Prince Tane came to call on us to thank his guide.

“Do not wake the poor fellow”, he smiled showing a perfect set of teeth (all the better to eat you with, I thought perhaps a little uncharitably). “I have put him through enough already, I am sure.”

There was something in his words that I did not like at all. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Watson is a good friend”, I said frostily, “and deserves to be treated with respect.”

He smiled knowingly.

“I can assure you, sir”, he said silkily, “that I gave him all the _respect_ he deserved!”

I could not help myself; I stood up and glared at the fellow. And to my surprise he went and laughed at me.

“Campbell was right”, he said. “You _are_ in love with him.”

I stared at him, aghast.

“How can you say such a thing?” I demanded angrily.

“Because it is true.”

I opened my mouth to deny his accusation but he was faster.

“I have met many men in my time”, he said, “and it is in my experience the nature of Man is that some of us will deny what we want because we are Men. But you love him, and I know from when I bent over wearing my skirt and did not elicit so much as a look from the fellow that he loves you. One day you will accept this.”

“Men do not love each other in this country”, I said rather feebly. He smiled.

“One should never confuse love and lust”, he said. “I am taking a rather large souvenir of England back to my little island which will doubtless disappoint your brother Lucius; your Mr. Little has graciously consented to join me there. He is the only gentlemen on whom I fixed my attentions who resisted me because of the arrangement he has with your brother; such faithfulness is rare in this world and besides, he is prodigious in so many areas! And I also have something for all the troubles I caused your 'friend'.”

He took a small box out of his pocket and opened it, then placed it on the table facing me. Inside was a large black pearl.

“I left one of these with each of the people who made my time in England so wonderful”, he said. “They are native to my part of the world; common enough over there but worth a number of your English pounds. I gave the larger ones to the ladies because as I am sure you can appreciate, some nine months from now they will likely have need of extra money. But I kept the largest of all for a true gentleman, one of the few people resistant to my poor charms. Because he is already in love.”

He nodded at me and crossed to the door but paused before leaving.

“A true gentleman”, he said again. “Take care of him Mr. Holmes, for my sake and yours. Farewell. 

With that he left. I stared after him, shocked.

֍

_Postscriptum: Some nine months later there were indeed a number of unexpected happy events across London. One of them resulted in my acquiring my second nephew (my sister Anna had given birth to her first son Brendon the months prior) whom Rachael insisted on naming Tantalus 'because she liked Greek myths'. I had a strong suspicion that my mother suspected something of what had happened, and prayed fervently that she did not feel 'inspired' to write a story about it. Mycroft of course was immensely proud of having sired the first Holmes of the next generation while I... I had my own problems by that time, as Watson and I were separated by several thousand miles._

֍


End file.
